History
Here is a rough timeline of the events that led to the situation the player encounters at the start of the game, which takes place in 1200 AG. The Elder Age This time is known as the era that laid the foundation for today's culture by spawning a multitude of civilized races by action of the mysterious Elders. Dates in the elder age are counted from a nebulous origin referred to as the "Awakening". As the majority of records have been destroyed in a global catastrophe, it is unknown how long this age lasted. 60: The elves appear in the forested region known today as Allovium. 138: The sages appear among the elves. Among them: Orhithales and Uzudil. With their gifts the elven nations flourish and settle much of the north. 210: Arcanex, the plane traveling arboral being, visits the material realm for the first time. 215: The wealth of the elven kingdoms attracts the attentions of the demon lords of the Abyss. Their spies begin infiltrating elven settlements. 231: The shadow monarchy of the demon Raxxizu establishes the cliff-side fortress realm of Unoilran in the mountains near Orz. The elves shun the area, naming it Nihul-Rin, or Deadly Fog. 300: Raxxizu constructs a permanent dimensional gate to the Abyss. The first demonic invasion of the material plane begins. The dread gates of Unoilran disgorge their hellish legions. Much of the elven nation is crushed and driven into hiding. 312: An enormous meteorite hits the northeast of Asnodil at the location of an underground magma chamber, resulting in two gas-spewing calderas. In the brutal, months-long volcanic winter that ensues, the elves are forced do dwell far from sunlight, deep in the cavernous roots of the Harrid mountains. Here they encounter a new people: one of the scattered dwarven clans. 320: The great elven wizard Nuizril constructs the first Chronostar. 325: With the help of dwarf engineering the elves attack the fortress of Unoilran from below. Suffering horrible losses, the elves force the gate to the Abyss closed, neutralize the remaining invaders, and finally emerge into the surface world again. The Times of Grief This era marks the abrupt end of the elder age and lasts, by coincidence, exactly 100 years (the last year is 99). 0: The skies spew fire. Flaming bullets rain onto the lands everywhere, setting aflame everything they hit. A monstrous impact parts the sea, pushing water dozens of kilometers past the shorelines worldwide. A 50 days long night follows. 1-12: The world enters the current ice age, triggered by the massive amount of particles still remaining in the higher atmosphere. The first three years see no summer at all; then the temperatures start increasing. Most of the world's history is lost, only rumors and legends remain of the elder age; and the peoples are more concerned with surviving and maintaining a lowly life standard. All the sages have survived, due to their knowledge of cosmical phenomenons, and are the only keepers of the lost history. Travelling the devastated lands for years, they try to coordinate reconstruction as good as they can. 14: A group of elven pioneers erects a fortified winter camp deep in the woods. During their exploration trips, they learn that a few scattered elven tribes have survived in the region. They decide to convince the tribes to settle down at the camp and found a town. This town is given the name Allovium. 23: Ironball the Raider King accedes his reign. 28: Ironball founds Thuzgol by forcibly relocating dwarven clans. 31: The secret, dwarven Order of the Grizzled Pony is founded to combat the tyrannical leadership of king Ironball. Over the years the order becomes corrupted and spends most of its time writing poetry and spreading terror. ca. 50: The climate has finally stabilized. Much of the higher north and parts of the south are frozen, treeless tundra. Glaciers have appeared on the mountains. The world is no more the all-tropical place it used to be in the elder days. Gradually recognizing this, the northern city states of Grimvil and Gormoril declare sledding their new national sport, as playing beach ball with fur gloves has proven difficult. 76: The goblins, having been thrown back into the stone age by the catastrophe and short on resources, leave their settlements deep within the Plains of Garmoskod and begin raiding elven and human villages. Noticing they are easily kept in check and cannot advance far into these territories, they deploy an organized army and turn to the west towards the mountains, where they assume rich natural resources. Ruadil, Ironball's successor, manages to intercept the main force with a quickly levied freelancer army. He underestimates the enemy's sharpness; parts of the secondary forces stab him in the back, the rest advances to the Karantil ridge to set up camp. Within a short time the mercenaries surrender and Ruadil turns to flee, only to realize that Thuzgol is besieged by goblins. Seeing that the dwarven clans are too quarreled to start an effective counterattack by themselves, he starts commanding the Goblin Wars personally from his exile in Allovium. 77: Thuzgol is still besieged, as the four main tunnels connecting the city with the surface are easy to control by the invaders. In fact, the goblins are not interested in the city itself but in the ore mines around it, which they exploit, delivering the ore to their homeland. Because fully occupying the city and keeping its infrastructure running would be too expensive, the goblins limit themselves to preventing breakouts at the main tunnels and controlling which goods enter and leave the city. 80: Ruadil has spent most of his time doing clan diplomacy and has caused several of the bigger mountain dwarf clans to pull up a relief army. During the battle to free Thuzgol, the main army of the Duil, a warlike hill dwarf clan, suddenly appears and gets involved, as they grudge the mountain dwarves getting back their capital city. After the dwarves have slaughtered each other, the remaining Duil manage to break through one of the main tunnels, the remains of the relief army through another, continuing to fight each other in the city. The goblins are completely unimpressed and continue the siege. 85: Predictably, the Thuzgol area has developed into a venue for clan feuds, with the goblins being forcibly more and more involved. Kuanrog, highest chieftain of the goblin tribes, orders his troops to burn down all major dwarven settlements on the Karantil ridge as a demonstration of his power. Things become inscrutable as a result. The hill dwarves start a broad invasion of the now weakened land of the mountain dwarves, but are intercepted by goblins. Troops have been withdrawn from Thuzgol for this pupose, allowing the mountain dwarves to take back the city. Five hours later, goblin troops burst into Thuzgol, closely followed by the Duil army. The ensuing battle destroys much of the city and leads to the goblins withdrawing to the mines. Thuzgol is now occupied by the Duil. 87: The Duil leave Thuzgol, as they are now on bad terms with the northern dwarves. Ruadil decides to stay in exile. 89: Ruadil has spent much effort on stabilizing the situation around Thuzgol. The goblins however are not willing to give up the mines, which are essential to Thuzgol's economy. 91: The only chance to get back the mines is to weaken the goblins' presence there, so Ruadil starts seeding rumors that the goblins have raided Duil villages north of Allovium. A week later, the goblins and Duil are at full war. Thuzgol gains back the mines, but the goblins have lined up their troops in the east. It is not clear whether they plan to start a new offensive or just want to protect their territory. 92-97: The Hillside Wars start, as the Duil and other hill dwarf troops crusade against the defensive line. Parts of the main force break through and rampage through the Goblin homeland. On the main front, the troops increasingly pass over to guerilla tactics which are quite effective in the hilly and relatively forested terrain. The Duil impose their own mentality upon the enemy: Being a honorable fighter, not resting until the last foe falls. The battles, and the whole subwar itself, are of an appropriate brutality. 98: In distress, the goblins have developed a precise long-range catapult and manage to drive back the Duil into the downs. The Age of the Guardians This period revolves mostly around the Guardians of the Realm and their effect on the global state of peace. The calendar used until today starts at 0 AG ("after the Guardians") and coincides with the foundation of their order. 0 AG: The founding of the Guardians of the Realm: an order of scholarly knights, charged with fighting the legions of the Abyss and cataloging all knowledge of the races of the world. 1 AG: The goblins try a new offensive, backed by their catapults, but these aren't very effective in rough terrain and the mountain and hill dwarves are currently at peace. In a short and fierce battle, the goblins are forced back into the plains. Small skirmishes keep going on. 4 AG: Due to diplomatic intervention by the Guardians, the Goblin Wars can be ended. The goblins are allowed to settle in certain hilly areas, where they have access to mineral deposits. 7 AG: The Guardians found a town named Orn at the intersection of goblin, dwarven and elven territory, with the goal of creating a community where different races can live next to each other peacefully. The carefully planned and executed experiment ends up as a success. Within a decade, Orn grows into a flourishing, tolerant local metropolis. 205 AG: The nightwards arrive by accident in the material realm and soon make contact with the Guardians. 263 AG: The dwarven clans are united under the designation "Groez-Duil". 411 AG: The village of Emeril is founded near a monastery of Minirmuir. The location of the village swells the ranks of the Minirmuir's followers which angers the lords of the Abyss. The second demonic invasion begins with the goal of destroying the monastery. 430 AG: The monastery near Emeril village is besieged by abyssal troops, while the main force of the Order is engaged in the fateful Battle at Manar River. An acolyte commits betrayal; as a direct consequence the Order of the Guardians of the Realm perishes. The newer history The newer history is the time from the fall of the Guardians until today. This long era is characterized by the absence of huge wars and other threats to the world's order and existence, but also by a lack of technical and social progress, as the scientific knowledge recorded by the Guardians has been destroyed and is exclusively kept by the sages. 432 AG: An unstable druidess named Mothrazu visits the abandoned monastery and experiences a vision of Amod-Rheinur telling her to eradicate all cities from the face of the world, spreading a dark forest instead. 443 AG: The abyssal hordes begin to retreat from the material realm, as they are, in turn, now under siege on their home plane. 984 AG: The wizard Mycotharsius encounters the demon lord Karzul. During the fierce clash, Mycotharsius' spell backfires on him; his dying lips cast a curse on Karzul. Karzul turns Mycotharsius into an undead servant. 1130 AG: S.C.O.U.R.G.E. Inc. is founded as a haven for aging adventurers who got themselves into too much trouble. The company sets up its headquarters in a former underground warehouse in the dock area of Horghh and quickly builds up a respectable (albeit pretty freaky) customer base. 1178 AG: Karzul discovers a dying Effrinu, a living aspect of an Elder God. Nursing the being back to life, he gains enough power to create the Necropod, in which he later entraps the Spawn of Arcanex. Category:History Category:Knowledge